Never Grow Up
by AfraidOfFalling
Summary: From Eileen to Severus to Lily to Harry, they've always wished for their loved ones to stay sheltered, whole, innocent.  Complies with canon.  Songfic with Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up."


Disclaimer: I do not own J. K. Rowling's _Harry Potter_, nor do I own Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up."

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**Never Grow Up**

Eileen smiled sadly down at her little boy. His hand was curled around her pinkie as he lay there, asleep. He was so tiny, so innocent, so peaceful. His eyes twitched, but he had a small smile on his face: no nightmares yet for her tiny one. After she tucked him in, made sure he was safe and warm under the worn old blanket, she turned to the dusty little window and opened the ragged curtains to let in the starlight. His favorite constellation twinkled merrily down at her: his made-up doe that he swore had glittering green eyes, though she couldn't see them.

_Your little hand's wrapped around my finger_  
_And it's so quiet in the world tonight._  
_Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming_  
_So I tuck you in and turn on your favorite nightlight._

Eileen smiled sadly down at her little boy. He watched the other children play on the swings and laughed with them, a high, light, musical sound like the birds in the spring or the windchimes on someone else's porch—so carefree, so genuinely happy—and Eileen wanted to capture that music and keep it forever close to her heart.

_To you, everything's funny_  
_You got nothing to regret._  
_I'd give all I have honey_  
_If you could stay like that. _

Eileen smiled sadly down at her little boy, and she sang quietly in a trembling voice hoarse from yelling with her husband:

_"Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up,_  
_Don't you ever grow up_  
_Just stay this little._  
_Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up,_  
_Don't you ever grow up_  
_It could stay this simple."_

Eileen smiled sadly down at her little boy, and smoothed the poorly-cut, lank hair from his eyes. She wished she could keep him in her arms forever, protect him from everyone in the world, let him stay here, safe and whole, for the rest of his life.

_I won't let nobody hurt you,_  
_Won't let no one break your heart._  
_No one will desert you,_  
_Just try to never grow up._

_Never grow up _

Severus smiled sadly over at his best friend. It was summer and they were going to the Muggle cinema in the Evans' car, and her face was red in discomfort. Her mum was talking about years ago, long before they went to Hogwarts for the first time, but Lily was bigger than that now—past those childhood Muggle memories. She was a witch; she did magic; she was a Gryffindor—she didn't want to think about normal stuff. And she glanced sideways at Severus, because they only recently had an argument over Dark Arts and Slytherins, and Severus knew they were drifting apart—knew she was going to leave him someday for bigger and better things, because that's what she was born for.

_You're in the car on the way to the movies_  
_And you're mortified your mama's dropping you off_  
_At 14, there's just so much you can't do_  
_And you can't wait to move out_  
_Someday and call your own shots_

Severus smiled sadly over at his best friend. Don't leave me, he wanted to beg, though he knew she didn't realize that she even _was_ leaving him. Don't leave us, the people who brought you to where you are now—your ladders. We're still here, and we l—but of course, he could never say the L-word to her. He wondered if sometimes she forgot how they danced about in excitement the weekend before their first year began, back when they did everything together.

_But don't make her drop you off around the block_  
_Remember that she's getting older too_  
_And don't lose the way that you dance_  
_Around in your PJs getting ready for school_

Severus smiled sadly over at his best friend on the way home. She was asleep, so he sang in a quiet, uncertain voice, slightly off-key:

_"Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up,_  
_Don't you ever grow up_  
_Just stay this little._  
_Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up,_  
_Don't you ever grow up_  
_It could stay this simple."_

Severus smiled sadly over at his best friend. She was so lucky, he thought, not to be him. Her life was perfect, full of joy, full of innocence. Nobody ever even wanted to hurt Lily. He wanted to paint her against the stars and keep her that way forever. Right there in the night sky, sparkling lights in the darkness, never to be out of his sight.

_No one's ever burned you,_  
_Nothing's ever left you scarred._  
_And even though you want to,_  
_Just try to never grow up._

Lily smiled sadly down at her baby boy, who peered about the nursury in joy. Things were changing, the war was raging, and she never could be quite certain that where they lived today would suffice for living safely tomorrow. She ran her hand over her son's untidy hair and hoped that he would remember this room when he was older—remember the happiness and love that surrounded him here. Downstairs she heard James enter the house and shut the door behind him softly, and then she heard the soft swish of his Invisibility Cloak as he removed it. Remember that, Harry, she whispered in her mind. Remember these days, remember all the loving words we coo at you, remember all the little melodies I sing to you when I'm trying to get you to sleep. The world's changing, and even if everything turns out fine, it'll still be different—you'll be bigger, older, less innocent. She sang to him a lullaby she had heard once or twice—from where, she was unsure.

_Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room_  
_Memorize what is sounded like what your dad gets home_  
_Remember the footsteps, remember the words said_  
_And all your little brother's favorite songs_  
_I just realized everything I had is someday gonna be gone _

Harry smiled sadly as he sat down by the tree, holding Hermione's wand uneasily in his hand. He gazed off into the forest, lost his eyes in the darkness that surrounded him. He shivered in the cold, even though he was wearing every sweater he owned. He shifted the cushion he was sitting on and tried to get comfortable against the rough tree trunk. Everything was black; the starry sky was hidden from view by trees and heavy clouds.

_So here I am in my new apartment_  
_In a big city, they just dropped me off._  
_It's so much colder than I thought it would be_  
_So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on._

Harry smiled sadly. The locket lay heavily against his chest, and he missed Ron and Ginny and the parents he never got to know. He whispered quietly, cautiously with the winter wind:

_"Wish I'd never grown up._

_Wish I'd never grown up._  
_Oh, I don't want to grow up,_  
_Wish I'd never grown up_  
_Could still be little._  
_Oh, I don't want to grow up,_  
_Wish I'd never grown up_  
_It could still be simple." _

Eileen smiled sadly down at her little boy as he reached up to touch those stars.

_Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up,_  
_Don't you ever grow up_  
_Just stay this little._

Severus smiled sadly over at his best friend as she started to sprout wings to fly away.

_Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up,_  
_Don't you ever grow up_  
_It could stay this simple._

Lily smiled sadly down at her baby boy as the darkness tried to close in upon them.

_Won't let nobody hurt you,_  
_Won't let no one break your heart._  
_And even though you want to,_  
_Please try to never grow up._

Harry smiled sadly as his sons, aboard the Hogwarts Express, pulled out of the station.

_Don't you ever grow up._  
_Just never grow up._

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